1. Field of the Invention
The present disclosure relates to a method of fabricating an alignment layer, and particularly, to a method of fabricating an alignment layer capable of alignment-processing an alignment layer by irradiating ultraviolet (UV) light onto reactive mesogens of the alignment layer.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
A liquid crystal display (LCD) device is a transmissive flat panel display device, and is mainly applied to a portable electronic device such as a notebook computer, personal digital assistants (PDA), and mobile phones. Recently, the LCD device has also been applied to a high-definition television (HDTV), a digital television, and a wall-mounted thin television. In addition to LCD devices, many kinds of devices including a plasma display panel (PDP) are being actively developed as flat panel display devices. However, the LCD device is being spotlighted the most among the flat panel display devices owing to massive production and easy driving characteristics, a high picture quality, etc.
In order to implement a uniform brightness and a high contrast ratio of the LCD device, injected LC molecules have to be aligned in a constant direction. The most representative method of aligning LC molecules is an aligning method by rubbing. According to this aligning method by rubbing, polyimide is deposited on a substrate as an alignment layer, and then a rubbing process is performed, thereby forming uniform micro grooves on the surface of the alignment layer. The micro grooves, polyimide molecules aligned by the rubbing process, and LC molecules undergo an intermolecular interaction on the surface of the alignment layer, thereby uniformly aligning the LC molecules on the entire surface of the alignment layer. However, in the aligning method by rubbing, random phase distortion and light scattering occur due to defects of the micro grooves formed on the surface of the alignment layer. This may lower a function of the LCD device. Furthermore, dust and a static electricity occur on the alignment layer by the rubbing process. This may degrade a production yield and damage the substrate.